DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTOMATIC SYSTEM FOR DETECTION OF PLUMB LINE

AND ALIGNMENT OF ELEVATOR GUIDE RAILS

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of phase-1

Bachelor of Engineering

By

Jeevan Pawar

Akash Pawar

Vishal Pavane

Under the guidance of

Prof. Mitali Mhatre

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Saraswati College of Engineering, Kharghar

University of Mumbai

2018-19

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 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project entitled “DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTOMATIC

SYSTEM FOR DETECTION OF PLUMB LINE AND ALIGNMENT OF
ELEVATOR GUIDE RAILS” is a bonafide work of
Jeevan Pawar

Akash Pawar

Vishal Pavane

Submitted to the University of Mumbai in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the
degree of “Undergraduate” in “Mechanical Engineering”.

--------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------

Prof. Mitali Mhatre Prof. Sunil Jankar

Project guide (Project Co-ordinator)

---------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------

Prof. M.B.Sorte Dr. Manjusha Deshmukh

Head of Department Principal

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 Project Report Approval for B. E.

This project report entitled “DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTOMATIC SYSTEM

FOR DETECTION OF PLUMB LINE AND ALIGNMENT OF ELEVATOR
GUIDE RAILS” by
Jeevan Pawar

Akash Pawar

Vishal Pavane

Is approved for the degree of Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering.

Examiners

1. ----------------------------------------

2. -----------------------------------------

Date:

Place:

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 DECLARATION

I declare that this written submission represents my ideas in my own words and where others ideas
or words have been included, I have adequately cited and referenced the original sources. I also declare
that I have adhered to all principles of academic honesty and integrity and have not misrepresented or
fabricated or falsified any idea/data/fact/source in my submission. I understand that any violation of the
above will be cause for disciplinary action by the Institute and can also evoke penal action from the
sources which have thus not been properly cited or from whom proper permission has not been taken
when needed.

I. JEEVAN PAWAR …………………………….

II. AKASH PAWAR ……………………………

III. VISHAL PAVANE …………………………….

(Signature)

Date:-

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 Acknowledgement

We hereby take this opportunity to present our project named “DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF
AN AUTOMATIC SYSTEM FOR DETECTION OF PLUMB LINE AND ALIGNMENT OF
ELEVATOR GUIDE RAILS”. We are grateful to those who helped us in our project. We are very much
thankful to our guide Prof. Mitali Mhatre and Prof. M. B. Sorte (Head of Department). We couldn’t
have completed this work without her timely intervention and meticulous guidance. We are out of words
in expressing our thanks for her guidance and encouragement. We would also like to tender our sincere
thanks to the staff members for their co-operation. We would also like to express our deep regards and
gratitude to our respected principal Dr. Manjusha Deshmukh. We would wish to thank the non -
teaching staff and our friends who have helped us all the time in one way or other. Really it is difficult to
repay the debt of all the people who have directly or indirectly helped us for completing the project.

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

Sr. No. Title

Page no.

1. Introduction
1.1 Background 1
1.2 Elevator Dimensions 2
1.3 Method of Producing a Physical Reference of the 3
Dimensions

1.4 Alignment Process 4

1.5 Installation of Guide Rails 6

1.6 Automatic Detection for Elevator Guide Rails 8

2. Literature Survey
2.1 Literature survey 11
2.1.1 Literature survey of Guide Rail Alignment 11
2.1.2 Literature survey for Distance Sensing 11
2.1.3 Literature survey of Motion of Brackets 12

3. Problem definition and objective

3.1 Problem definition 13
3.2 Objectives 13
3.3 Overall methodology 14
4. Conclusion 15

5. References 16

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 CHAPTER 1

1. Introduction

A guide rail is structure to direct products, vehicles or other objects through a channel. Guide
rails are part of the inner workings of most elevator and lift shafts, functioning as the vertical,
internal track. The guide rails are fixed to two sides of the shaft; one guides the elevator car and
the other for the counterweight. In tandem, these rails operate both as stabilization within the
shaft during routine use and as a safety system in case of emergency stops. Both the elevator car
and the counterweight ride on guide rails along the sides of the elevator shaft. The rails keep the
car and counterweight from swaying back and forth, and they also work with the safety system to
stop the car in an emergency.

1.1 Background

Elevator guide rails are components of elevator systems that define the path along which the
elevators ride. An elevator should not be expected to operate regularly and safely on guide rails
that do not possess the minimum quality standards and that are not installed properly. Data
receivers which transmit to the control system the information about the position of elevators,
doors, door lock sand safety brakes are designed on the assumption that guiderails will follow
certain paths. Guide rails are manufactured in fully equipped factories possessing high-quality
measurement systems. However, guide rails manufactured in these factories may be installed into
poorly built elevator wells at construction sites. The quality level expected of elevators can be
achieved only if the manufacturing and installing processes are coordinated successfully.
Consequently, we have allocated more room for practical information herein which might be
handy for a field technician rather than information on manufacturing processes and calculation
methods and techniques.

Manufacturing and installing guide rails are two inseparable processes that secure the
safe and smooth riding of elevators. Let’s look into guide-rail manufacturing and installing
processes designed to achieve the best results. Guide rails are made of steel. The tensile strength

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of steel raw material used should be at least 370N/mm2 and no more than 520N/mm2 according
to ISO 7465:2001 standard. For this purpose, it is recommended to use steel grade St 360-2
according to DIN 17100 standard and steel grade E-235B according to ISO 630:1995 standard.
Raw steel goes through a hot rolling process and is formed into a T profile. Thereafter, T profiles
can be formed into high-quality guide rails using two different manufacturing methods.1. Cold
Drawing 2. Machine Process The reason why hot rolled T profiles are treated in those processes
is those processes improve the quality of measurement and the smoothness of the surface.
Surfaces of guide rails should be smooth and homogenous.

1.2 Elevator Dimensions

While installation of Elevator Guide Rails, 6 important points are crucial to take into
account.
1. 2 points indicating DBG (Distance between Guide Rails)
2. 2 points indication DBWG (Distance between Counter Weight Guide Rails)
3. Door extremities
These distances dictate the installation process and are need to be kept constant throught the
height of the building.
Also, the distance between the Guide Rails and the Walls and the Diagonal Distance between the
6 above mentioned points are also to be fixed. The above dimensions and terminology is made
clear using the following diagram.

Figure 1.1 Elevator Dimensions

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1.3 Method of Producing a reference of the Dimensions

The hoistway survey is the first part of any successful rail installation. During the survey
installation, personnel must determine the vertical plumbness of the hoistway, whether it was
built square and is in its proper location within the building. If there is more than one elevator,and
they are adjacent to each other, the multiple hoistways must also be evaluated to ensure that their
relationship to each other is correct. Particular attention must also be paid to ensure the elevator
fronts line up and are parallel with each other. The end result of the survey is to ensure that the
hoistway is built properly to allow the installer to place the elevator(s) into the hoistway in such a
way as to satisfy all requirements of the job specifications. A properly done survey requires that
the installation personnel walk the floors taking measurements at each level. Many installers will
drop a plumb line in each corner of the hoistway to which they can measure. This allows them to
determine if the hoistway is plumb. A more recent method of determining if the hoistway is
plumb is to use a self-leveling laser to project a beam the length of the hoistway. Measurements
can then be easily taken from each floor to the laser beam. Once all measurements are taken, the
installer can determine the exact location of each elevator within the given hoistway and if they
can satisfy all the job requirements. When the exact location of each elevator has been
determined, the installer can drop the plumb lines that will be used to align the guide rails. The
lines dropped are typically .029-diameter-piano wires. In order to drop these plumb lines, a target
is erected at the top of the hoistway that secures and defines the location of the dropped lines. The
target can be built of lumber or brackets to which lines are attached. A common method is to
install a top bracket and elevator rail with a plumb-line clamp attached to it (see Figure 1.2), and
drop the line from the plumb-line clamp. No matter what the construction of the top target, it
must dictate the location of all the stacks of elevator rails.

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 Figure 1.2 Plumb line Clamping Device

1.4 Alignment process

Alignment of guide-rail joints is of the utmost importance for final comfort and it affects
the whole speed range. Alignment on current guide rails also depends on the assembly staff, as
screw clearance on one of the axes can lead to great misalignments.

Steps for Correct Assembly

1. Attach bracket A to the wall. Assemble bracket B without tightening the screws. The guide
must be rigidly anchored to bracket B by means of the clips.

2. Clamp the guide with the template. In this operation, the distance between guides (DBG) is set,
and the guides are aligned with the YY axis.

3. Place the plumb line in the control system as shown.

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4. Assemble the bracket adjusters on both sides. The system designed allows for easy and reliable
assembly. The bracket adjuster is joined to the brackets by means of the system as shown plate
and guides to the position of the plumb line.

a. Turn the T1 screw until the needle is in the central 0 position.

b. Turn the T2 screw until the needle is in the central 0 position. The whole unit will move along
the Y axis.

c. Turn the T3 screw until the needle is in the central 0 position.

6. To set the final position, the bracket screws must be tightened. For this, all the control system
needles must show 0.

Using the assembly system described, an assembly precision of 0.2mm can be achieved

The precision required for positioning the guides on the brackets depends on the speed of the lift.
In Figure 10 we can see that there is no linear variation and that there is a limit of 0.2mm, above
which comfort is not improved. Summarizing, it is essential to set the appropriate parameters for
each installation and to focus on the concepts which are critical for final comfort. It is very
important to obtain quality from the design stage by choosing suitable components and setting the
correct parameters.

Figure 1.3 Offset to Speed Graph

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1.5 Installation of guide rail

Guide-rail installation requirements that must be met are:

◆Having adequate means for correct installation
◆ An ease of use not requiring special training of staff
◆ Precision and reliability to ensure the quality of the
installation
◆ Easy viewing of misalignment with regard to the references
To ensure correct positioning of the riding path with regard to the plumb lines used as an
assembly reference, it is advisable to use tools similar to those in Figure 6. The
template ensures that the distance between the guides and alignment on the YY axis is
correct .
Adjustable Bracket
 This comprises two components which adjust the position of the system formed by
the template and the guides.
 Attach bracket A to the wall. Assemble bracket B without tightening the screws.
 The guide must be rigidly anchored to bracket B by means of the clips. Clamp the
guide with the template.
 In this operation, the distance between guides (DBG) is set, and the guides are
aligned with the YY axis.
 Place the plumb line in the control system as shown.
 Assemble the bracket adjusters on both sides. The system designed allows for easy
and reliable assembly.
 The bracket adjuster is joined to the brackets by means of the system as shown.

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Figure 1.4 Steps of Installation of Guide Rails

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1.6 Automated Detecting System for Elevator Guide Rails

The Straightness, verticality and step height deviation of the elevator guide are the
most important parameters that affect the operation of the elevator. The verticality error of
elevator guide rail is one of the main factors that cause vibration and acceleration wear of
elevator cab, and straightness error directly affects the comfort of elevator operation. The step
deviation affects the stability of elevator operation.
The traditional measurement techniques for elevator guide rails are based on hand tools. The
inspectors use feeler and guide rule to measure the deviation between the guide rails and a
plumb line. In recent years, with the rapid development of the elevator industry, new methods
to detect elevator guide rails efficiently become increasingly concerned. Some methods are
proposed by many researchers. Liu and Chen [1] designed a system combined by an
automatic-climbing robot and a laser sensor to detecting the guide rails.
Laser sensor is accurate enough, but the volume of the robot is too larger for some
scenarios. Noguchi, Naoaki used an acceleration sensor, which was installed on a platform
connected to the elevator cabs, to analyze the step deviation. The data acquired by the sensor
can be dealt with to figure out the deviation. The system cannot be used before the
installation of elevator cab because of without the power system. Liu used a tilt sensor to
measure the verticality of the guide rail. The system used long time step to measure the
verticality. Long time step method is more convenient than continuously sampling, but has
lower accuracy at the same time. An compared several methods and devices, then the limits
of different methods are pointed
out in the paper. In paper , a method based on vibration analysis is put forward; a model of
platform was designed to describe vibration.

1.6.1 Structure of System

As shown in Figure 1.5, the structure of the whole system consists of three parts:
traction system, measurement platform and base station. The measurement platform is driven
by a traction machine, which can avoid the vibration and noise of motor in the measurement
platform. The control system receives the signal transmitted by the base station, and then
controls the measure platform to complete the detecting task. The speed of the platform is on-
line controllable, and the design improves the accuracy.

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 Figure 1.5 Structure of whole system

A. Measurement Platform
The measurement platform carries a SCM-based control system. One guide rail has three
work surfaces, as shown in Figure 1.6, including two side guiding surfaces and one top
surface. Two tilt sensors and one acceleration sensor are assigned to each work surface. Tilt
sensors measure the angle in order to detecting the straightness and verticality of guide rails.
Acceleration sensors measure the vibration of platform, the data can be processed to detect
the step deviation at the joints. The system is shown in
Figure 1.7. The width of guide surface or guide rails is range from 10mm to 36mm.A
adaptive platform is designed to apply to different types of guide rails. The electromagnetic
wheels installed on the platform located the platform on the guide
surface. The magnetic intensities can be controlled in order to adapt to different working
conditions. If the guide surface is smooth, user can raise the magnetic force to prevent
derailment.

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B. Base Station System

Base station system consists of a computer and a wireless module. Relevant software is
developed in the compute to control the traction system and to deal with the data measured by the
sensors. Users can real-time monitor the state of the measurement platform, in case of colliding
and derailment. The software will deal with the data to get the deviation of the three surfaces of
guide rail, and then display the result as curve on the screen of the computer in real time. The
data and the result will be stored in the disk for future reviewing.

D. Software System

. The software system consists of three parts: control software, data processing software
and the embedded software. The control software is installed in the compute of the base station
system. The function of the software is to control and monitor the platform. There are two
interfaces in the software, the one is to monitor the platform, the other one is to control the
traction system. The data processing software is used to deal with the data submitted by the
sensors. And the results will be shown on the interface as curve. A method based on wavelet
analysis is applied in the software to eliminate the noise. The precision of the result is higher than
traditional methods. The embedded software is installed in the SCM-based control system. The
software will communicate with the base station to control the platform.

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 CHAPTER 2

2.1 Literature Survey

This chapter includes study of research papers for understanding analysis of different techniques
of Guide Rail Installation, Sensing Devices and Motion Mechanisms used for movement of
Brackets.

2.1.1 Literature Survey of Positioning the Alignment Plumb lines

An arrangement and a method are provided for positioning the alignment plumb lines of the
guide rails of an elevator, more particularly when installing an elevator during the construction
phase of a building. The solution includes at least actuators fixed above the guide rails for
moving at least the parts of the alignment plumb lines above the guide rails for positioning the
alignment plumb lines.

Gert Van Der Meijden, Otterlo(NL); Jos Van Den Heuval, NN’s-Hertogenbosch (NL),
“Arrangement and method for positioning the alignment plumb lines of the guide rails of an
elevator”.

2.1.2 Literature Survey of Elevator Guide Rail Installation and Alignment

There are nearly as many ways to install and align elevator guide rails as there are elevators.
Installation techniques vary by company and even by geographical area. Experimentation on new
and different techniques have been tried, and will continue to be tried, since the installation and
alignment process can consume many hours and can make or break a job. The intent of this
article is to focus on two of the more traditional methods. These methods have largely been
accepted over the years as a tried-and-true

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way to install and align elevator rails. While other methods may prove faster, they normally
require special equipment.

Steve Wurth, Asray Sanayi, Savera Research and Development Team, “ Elevator Guide Rails
Installation and Alignment”.

2.1.3 Literature Survey of Different Types of Sensing Devices

Distance measurement of an object in the path of a person, equipment, or a vehicle, stationary or

moving is used in a large number of applications such as robotic movement control, vehicle
control, blind man’s walking stick, medical applications, etc. Measurement using ultrasonic
sensors is one

of the cheapest among various options. In this paper distance measurement of an obstacle by
using separate ultrasonic transmitter, receiver and a microcontroller is presented.

A.K. Shrivastava, A. Verma, and S.P. Singh, “Distance Measurement of an Object or Obstacle
using Ultrasound Sensor”

Yifeng Yang, Wei Guo, Yujun Wang and Wenxiu Lu, “Automated Detecting System for
Elevator Guide Rails based on Tilt Sensors and Acceleration Sensors”.

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 CHAPTER 3

3.1 Problem Definition

The current method used for Alignment of Guide Rails is a all manual, tedious process in
Elevator Installation. The process which includes taking plumb line as a reference consumes a lot
of time and requires attentiveness of the worker, which deteriorates as the working hours pass.
The worker manually adjusts the distance using a gauge and the adjust the brackets using
hammers. This process does not give accurate and fast results, consistently, and depends on the
judgement, experience and efficiency of the worker. Development of an Automatic System for
this activity will enable fast, accurate results produced consistently.

3.2 Objectives

 To reduce the time consumption for alignment of Guide Rails

 To provide a system that consistently provides accurate results

 To Minimize Human Intervention

 To Reduce the Overall Time Duration of Project Completion

 To Increase Worker Efficiency

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3.3 Overall Methodology

3.3.1 Sensing Unit

At this stage the system will detect the plumb line using a sensor and its distance from itself :

1. The sensor unit will consists of a Receiver and Transmitter. A beam of Ultrasonic wave will
be transmitted by the sensor and it will be reflected back after hitting the plumb line.

2. The reflected will be received by the receiver. The time interval between between the
transmitted and reflected rays will provide us the distance.

3.3.2 Processing

The data from the sensing unit will sent to the Motion Unit via a Micro-controller. The
Processing takes signal from the sensor and takes note of the distance. Then it is decided whether
it is required to be moved or not, if moved then in what direction and by how much value. The
appropriate signal is send to the Motion Unit where the movement of thee brackets will be made.

3.3.3 Motion Unit

We will be considering a Hammering Mechanism where a T-shape structure will be used having
a clamp which can be fixed onto the bracket. Both Forward and Backward Hammering can be
carried out using this mechanism.

For the Hammering motion, we will be using a motor and a mechanism which converts rotational
motion of the motor to a reciprocating motion, which will be fast and forceful enough to be able
to move the brackets.

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 CHAPTER 4

4.Conclusion

Based on current current research, it is observed that the distance mesuring sensor maybee
unable to detect the plumb line due to its thin diameter. This problem can be rectified by holding
a plate behind the plate, perpendicular to the sensing unit, and thus giving the sensor a greater
area to work with. Different sensors provide different results. The accuracy will be tested during
fabrication and the unit with the best results will be selected. Also, for the motion unit, two types
of mechanisms are considered. A push pull system and a hammering system. Both have there
Pros and Cons. They will again be tested for their utility and be selected according. In conclusion,
a system thus produced which can automate the detection and alignment process will be of great
help to the Installation teams and provide faster Installations in lesser times, giving accurate
results.

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 CHAPTER 5

5.References

Gert Van Der Meijden, Otterlo(NL); Jos Van Den Heuval, NN’s-Hertogenbosch (NL),
“Arrangement and method for positioning the alignment plumb lines of the guide rails of an
elevator”.

Steve Wurth, Asray Sanayi, Savera Research and Development Team, “ Elevator Guide Rails
Installation and Alignment”.

A.K. Shrivastava, A. Verma, and S.P. Singh, “Distance Measurement of an Object or Obstacle
using Ultrasound Sensor”

Yifeng Yang, Wei Guo, Yujun Wang and Wenxiu Lu, “Automated Detecting System for
Elevator Guide Rails based on Tilt Sensors and Acceleration Sensors”.

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